The Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, has pleaded with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to give the South-East a significant position as the race for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly heats up. “very reasonable” and not just the deputy speaker role.
Kalu emphasized the importance of other criteria, such as current voting trends and alignments, and emphasized that the quantity of votes do not determine the importance of a region. He emphasized the necessity for party members to work together in harmony and with understanding, particularly with regard to the South-East. Kalu remarked, “We will vote according to our conscience. You people have done it before and we will do what you have done in the past. So, it is better we settle properly as 59 senators of the APC. The difference is not much.”
Meanwhile, if the contentious zoning formula for the leadership positions of the 10th National Assembly is not revised, there are signs that Northern senators, notably those elected under the APC, are ready to challenge the party. Former governor of Zamfara State and incoming senator Abdulaziz Yari issued a dire warning that if the problem is not resolved, the entire North will rise up in revolt. According to the party’s zoning plan, Tajudeen Abass and Ben Kalu were picked as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the North-West and South-East, respectively. They were reportedly supported by President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The 18 senators-elect from the North-Central geopolitical zone have voiced their displeasure with the zoning design, condemning in particular the absence of their region from the arrangement. Seven candidates for the speakership from the North-West, North-East, North-Central, and South-East have also criticized the zoning method and asked for compensation.
